Replies

This grates me particularly in the historical sciences (e.g. anthropology, archeology, Egyptology and evolution) in that, because their source data is spotty at best, they begin with a story into which they "fit" whatever they find. A find would have to be undeniable and so far outside the story line that it could not be explained before they would consider there may be a flaw in the basic script.

Grates me too, dearest sister in Christ!

You are so right: Such folks "begin with a story into which they 'fit' whatever they find." It gets worse, though: Even a "find" "far outside the story line" would not be considered instantly "deniable" or refutable in principle. Such folks would simply take that item, and "re-explain it" according to the categories of their theory, thus to make it "fit" their (sacrosanct) theory.

In short, the "basic script" is held inviolate: One must not trespass against it and expect to be published in, say, Nature, or The Journal of Theoretical Biology.

It has been alleged that if science can't directly answer a question, it will keep on reformulating it until it "hits" on a "right" formulation that it can answer. That is, "science simply substitutes questions it can answer for ones it cannot." Or as Richard Lewontin put it, "...scientists do what they already know how to do." And that's that.

If Lewontin is right, this is a pretty grim situation!

But as I have never detected him being "right" before, why should I believe he is "right" now?

LOLOL dearest sister in Christ! Thank you ever so much for your splendid essay/post!

Even a "find" "far outside the story line" would not be considered instantly "deniable" or refutable in principle. Such folks would simply take that item, and "re-explain it" according to the categories of their theory, thus to make it "fit" their (sacrosanct) theory.

In short, the "basic script" is held inviolate: One must not trespass against it and expect to be published in, say, Nature, or The Journal of Theoretical Biology.

So very true!

Thank you so much for sharing your insights, dearest sister in Christ, and thank you for your encouragements!